SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE HAPPY AND TRIUMPHANT DEATH OF THE LATE MR. ROBERT CREASEY, MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, MARCH, ISLE OF ELY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE; TO WHICH IS ADDED, A SELECTION OF HIS LETTERS. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." REV. XIV. 13. "His Letters are weighty and powerful." 2 COR. X. 10. LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL AND CO., STATIONERS' HALL COURT: SLEAFORD: PRINTED AND SOLD BY JAMES CREASEY, [The profits arising from the Sale of this publication will be devoted to the Widow and Family of the lamented Author; and, should the same be favorably received by the Public, a second part, consisting of Select Letters, will shortly be published.] A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE LAST ILLNESS AND HAPPY AND TRIUMPHANT DEATH OF MR. ROBERT CREASEY, Minister of the Gospel, March, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire. THE beloved disciple John, says, "I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." (Rev. xiv. 13.) And it is elsewhere declared, "That precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." (Psalm cxvi. 15.) Therefore to record the death-bed sayings of the Lord's family cannot be wrong, as it is calculated to prove the truth of God's Word, and his faithfulness to that word; and to encourage the faith of his poor afflicted family in that word; for the apostle says, many of them are, through the fear of death, all their life-time subject to bondage." (Heb. iii. 15.) 66 The subject of the following short account, was well known in several places in different parts of the country, B as a faithful servant of the Lord; and where known, he was highly esteemed by many of the Lord's family, to whom his ministry was powerfully blessed. His health had been on the decline for the last twelve months of his life, but more particularly so, after his return from his last visit into Lincolnshire, in the month of October last. When in Lincolnshire, he preached at Boston, Donington, Billinghay, Walcot, South Kyme, Threekingham, and Sleaford, with much power and with considerable profit to several. The change in his state of health was painfully noticed by several of his friends after his return; but they did not apprehend that his end was so near as the event proved it to be. He was in a sweet spiritual frame of mind; very spiritual in his conversation; had much deadness to the world, and the things of the world; which increased the nearer he approached to his end; as Dr. Watts beautifully describes the end of the christian's race: "But when he comes nearer to finish his race, Like a fine setting sun he looks richer in grace; Of rising in brighter array." He was never laid aside from his beloved work of preaching the Gospel; but preached three times the Lord's day before his death, and administered the ordinance of the Supper. When preaching he was so much helped as to appear as if nothing ailed him, but was so weak that he was obliged to lie down on the bed between each service. His last text was, "We are the clay, and thou our potter." It was a solemn and weighty discourse. On the Tuesday evening following he attended a prayer meeting at the Chapel, and engaged in prayer at considerable length. He was out of doors on the Wednesday and Thursday, and came down stairs on the Friday morning, but was taken so much worse, that he was obliged to go to bed again, from whence he never came down. During the last week. of his life his conversation was truly heavenly. He said he was firmly fixed on the Rock of Ages; and would often say, "How can I sink with such a prop, That bears the world and all things up." 66 66 He said the Lord had given him that promise in the beginning of his illness, that he would strengthen him on the bed of languishing, and truly it was verified, as will appear in the sequel. He was almost constantly in fervent prayer, and would say to his wife, 'Don't be afraid when you see me thus engaged; I am perfectly sensible; I know what I am about." He would often mention the following words, "Mighty to save ;" and, "His own arm brought salvation." "I want to see his blessed face; I want to see his blessed face." Leave me not, dear Lord, to self and sin, but have mercy on me." And under a sense of his own sinfulness, he would say, "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him;" "but, oh! let me exalt a precious Christ, who shed his blood for me; not one drop was shed in vain : O, sovereign grace." After mentioning the above passages, and sweetly commenting upon them, he appeared to be much exhausted, and dropped asleep; after dozing a few minutes, he awoke with these words on his lips, "Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee." At another time, and indeed many times, the eighth chapter to the Romans was very precious to him, and he sweetly commented upon different parts of it, but especially, and very frequently, upon the first verse, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." He said his end was near; but he was not afraid of death: he longed to die. He said, "I am washed and cleansed in |